Machine for positioning articles of circular cross-section in a protector

ABSTRACT

MACHINE FOR POSITIONING AMPOULES IN A PROTECTIVE PACKAGING CONTAINER, IN WHICH A ROTARY PLATE ROTATES ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS AND HAS A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED COMPARTMENTS THEREIN. AMPOULES ARE FED ONE AT A TIME FROM A DISPENSER INTO EACH COMPARTMENT AND A PROTECTIVE PACKAGING CONTAINER IS DROPPED, AT A STATION DOWNSTREAM OF SAID DISPENDER, INTO THE COMPARTMENT TO OVERLIE THE AMPOULE. A PUSHER THEN FORCES THE   CONTAINER FULLY OVER THE AMPOULE WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY FALLS FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE COMPARTMENT.

Oct. 12, 1971 BARQIN ETAL ,GILG'] MACHINE FOR POSITIONING ARTICLES OFCIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION IN A PROTECTOR Filed April 1. 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet1 lnvenfrs GEORGES BAROIN, ANDRE GUY y WMMwMM Attorneys Oct. 12, 1971BAROlN ETAL 3,611,610

MACHINE FOR POSITIONING ARTICLES OF CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION IN APROTECTOR Filed April 1, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet m INVENTORS GEORGES BAROINANDRE GUY Attorneys Oct. 12, 1971 Filed April 1, 1970 G. BAROIN EI'AL3,611,670 MACHINE FOR POSITIONING ARTICLES 0F CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION INA PROTECTOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS GEORGES BAROIN, ANDRE GUY ymm%&%,b

Attorneys United States 3,611,670 MACHINE FOR POSITIONING ARTICLES FCIR- CULAR CROSS-SECTION IN A PROTECTOR Georges Baroin and Andre Guy,Thiais, France, assignors to Rhone-Poulenc S.A., Paris, France FiledApr. 1, 1970, Ser. No. 24,736 Claims priority, application France, Apr.11, 1969, 6911305 Int. Cl. B65b /04, 57/10 US. Cl. 53-53 5 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE It is often necessary to protect fragilearticles against shocks, more particularly in order to pack themindividually for despatch. For example it is important to pack carefullyampoules containing pharmaceutical products.

In most cases the article to be protected is introduced manually into aprotective packaging container or protector" which keeps it insulatedfrom external shocks. The increase in industrial production rates hasresulted in a need for mechanical introduction of such articles intotheir protectors.

Since the problem is particularly pressing in the pharmaceuticalindustry for packing of pharmaceutical ampoules, only this applicationwill be discussed hereinafter, although it will be understood that whatis mentioned can easily be applied by the person skilled in the artequally to other articles of circular cross-section such as bottles,electric lamps or radio valves.

According to the present invention there is provided a machine forpositioning articles of circular cross-section in a protective packagingcontainer therefor, such machine comprising a rotary plate mounted forrotation in a given direction about a substantially vertical axis, aplurality of open ended compartments in said plate, circumferentiallyspaced around a pitch circle centered on the vertical axis, saidcompartments having a diameter greater than the maximum dimension of theprotective packaging container and themselves having vertical axes,movable means associated with each compartment to hold an articleaxially within each compartment, a peripherally slotted dispensersynchronised with rotary plate to dispense an article vertically fromabove into each compartment in turn, a protective packaging containerdispenser assembly, located downstream of the slotted dispenser in thedirection of rotation of the rotary plate, and synchronised with therotary plate to drop a protective packaging container into eachcompartment in turn, to overlie an article therein, and a pusher devicedownstream of the dispensing assembly, in the direction of movement ofthe rotary plate, to push a protective packaging container fully overits associated article.

Means may also be provided for sensing the absence of an article andcontrolling the ejecting of the protective packaging container if thearticle is missing.

When it is desired to add a file or a similar object to the assemblyconstituted by protective packaging container and the article, themachine may also comprise an "1 atent assembly for supplying andpositioning files or similar objects, the action of which issynchronised with that of the other component parts of the machine.

As the protective packaging container, one may use round-section orsquare-section boxes, cylindrical cases e.g. of corrugated cardboard,corrugated plastics. mate rial and more especially the containersdescribed in US. specification No. 3,444,991.

If the article is an ampoule there may be used any type of ampoulenormally used in the pharmaceutical industry, but more especially theampoules known as bottle ampoules.

In order that the invention may be more easily understood, the followingdescription is given, merely by way of example, reference being made tothe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows an ampoule, protective packaging container and filesuitable for assembly together in the machine of the present invention,all the components being shown in elevation;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the components of FIG. 1 in assembledrelation;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, to a reduced scale, of one embodiment ofmachine according to the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a section through the wheel of the machine of FIG. 3, at thelocation of a compartment, and shown to an enlarged scale.

In FIG. 1 there is illustrated:

(a) An ampoule A of the bottle type, although the machine according tothe invention may also be used for ampoules of the double pointed end"type;

(b) A protective packaging container or protector B as described in US.specification No. 3,444,991 although the machine may be used for othertypes, such |as cylindrical protectors made of corrugated plasticsmaterial; and

(c) A flat file C, although this element may be omitted or may bereplaced by a file of the type provided with a grip.

FIG. 2 illustrates the three components A, B and C in their finallyassembled relation. It will be appreciated that the machine which is tobe described is primarily for ampoules, but given suitable technicalmodification, any desired article, of circular cross-section, such asother types of ampoule or bottle, may have the protector of suitabledesign fitted thereon.

In the embodiment of machine illustrated in FIG. 3, a circular rotaryplate I is rotatable, in the direction indicated by the arrow, about avertical axis. The means for rotating the plate (not shown) are such asto index the plate around in a discontinuous manner.

Disposed in order, in the direction of rotation, is a dispenser 2 fordispensing ampoules, a dispensing assembly 3 for dispensing theprotectors, a feeding device 4 for feeding files, and a pusher assembly5 to be described in more detail later. 1

.Disposed equi-angularly on a pitch circle 6a, centered on the axis ofrotation of the rotary plate 1, are a plurality of compartments 6 ofcircular cross-section, the diameter of these compartments beingslightly greater than the maximum dimension D (FIG. 2) of the protectorB. In a preferred construction this diameter is about 1.1 times thelargest dimension D.

The dispenser 2 includes a box 10 having sloping lower walls 11, whichfeed ampoules A to a chute 12 which in turn feeds the ampoules to theslots 14 of a bevel gear shaped rotary slotted dispenser 13 which has,around a portion of its periphery, a plate 15. The front slot in thedispenser is vertical and axially aligned with the component therebeloW.

Two rollers 25, which are spaced apart by a suitable distance, canreciprocate in a rotary sense and ensure the feeding of the ampoules oneat a time into the chute 12. The ampoules are then moved by the slotteddispensing chamber 13 to immediately above the upper open end of thecompartments 6, the dispenser 13 being suitably synchronised with therotation of the rotary plate 1. A suitable triangular spike (not shown)may cooperate with the convergent sides 11 of the box to assist inensuring the ampoules are dispensed only one at a time from the box intothe chute 12.

As can be seen from FIG. 4, a fixed or stationary member 27 extendsaround the rotary plate 1 below the lower open end of each compartment.However, immediately below the dispenser 13, a spring member, which isfixed to the frame of the machine, is located in place of this wall.This serves to absorb the shock as an ampoule drops into a compartment.

Located downstream of the dispenser 13 is the dispenser 3, which is of avibratory type having a spiral path 16 adapted to carry the protectorsor protective packag ing containers B and feed them down a slide 17 to acompartment 6 in which an ampoule has already been dispensed.

In order to allow only one protector B to be dispensed at a time, an arm30, carried by the pusher assembly 5, executes a vertical movement withthe pusher assembly 5. A pawl 31 on this arm engages in turn undersuccessive ones of the protector sliding down the slide 17. The movementof the pawl 31 is indicated by the arrows at the lower end of the slide17.

Referring again to FIG. 4, it will be noted that two grooves 28 areformed in the rotary plate 1 and these accommodate a pair of retractablegrippers 7, the function of which is to centre the ampoules in thecompartments, so that the protectors falling thereonto can slide aroundthe upper portion of the ampoules to approximately halfway down theampoules.

As indicated previously, downstream of this station is the station 4 fordispensing files C. This comprises a vibrating chamber provided withspiral tracks, this chamber delivering the files aligned successivelywith one another so that they fall down an inclined chute 19,terminating in an inclined stop which causes the files to be storedparallel to one another. A pneumatic carrying arm 20 reciprocates abouta pivot point so as to pick up the files one at a time by vacuum actionand introduce them into the upper end of a chute 21, the side of whichcarries a stop 29. Thus when the arm 20 holding a file by vacuum action,the file is stopped by the stop 29, the holding vacuum is cut and thefile drops and falls via the chute 21 into the protector B between theampoule and the protector.

Downstream of the station is the pusher assembly 5 which comprises twocylindrical pushers 8 mounted on a plate 9, the pushers again beingillustrated more clearly in FIG. 4. The whole assembly 5 is verticallyreciprocable by suitable means, e.g. by a cam (not shown), so that thecylindrical pushers 8, which are of a hollow configuration, push on theupper edges of the protectors to force them over the ampoules A,downward movement of the protectors being stopped by the stationaryplate 27.

Also carried by the assembly 5 are two further elements 32 and 33. Theelement 32 includes a piston which is engageable inside a protector todetect whether or not an ampoule is present, this sensing element 32being urged generally downwardly by a spring 34. If an ampoule ispresent, then the spring 34 is compressed and a micro switch 35 isoperated by the stem of the sensing element 32. If this micro-switch isnot operated, then a control element in the form of a solenoid 36 causesmovement of a member 26, which takes the place of a portion of the fixedwall 27. Thus, if an ampoule is not present, the solenoid 36 isoperated, the member 26 pivots, and the protectors slides down a rejectchute 23.

The purpose of the other element 36 carried by the plate 9 is to causethe completed assembly of the protector, ampoule and file to be forcedout of the compartment 6, which has no lower wall at this point, down anoutlet chute 24.

During the downward movement of the pushers 8, the grippers 7 arewithdrawn to facilitate forcing of the protector onto the ampoule.

It will be appreciated that the detector or sensing means can bearranged to detect other defects, such as an ampoule being obliquelypositioned in a protector, so that such an assembly could be rejected asunsatisfactory.

If it is desired that no file should be introduced, the feeding means 4can be omitted, or not caused to operate.

The actual mechanical details of the machine have not been illustrated,since these can comprise the normal parts used for such purposes. Forexample, the rotary plate may be driven by an electric motor, the plateadvancing intermittently compartment by compartment. The various movableparts may be moved by sets of gearwheels, connecting rods and cams, andthe machine may include casings, lubricating means and normal safetymeans used in the art.

The machine according to the invention affords the advantage of regular,reliable operation at a high rate, and requires little maintenance.

By way of example, a machine was made, as shown in FIG. 3, and wassuitable for ampoules of a self-opening bottle type (therefore notrequiring the introduction of a file) of 2 and 4 ml. size (diameter11.5/15J5-height 60/65) and a protector of rectangular cross-sectionwith holding folds, side 22/24 mm. and height 65/70 mm.

The plate 1 was made of light alloy, with a diameter of 300 mm., athickness of 70 mm., and it had 16 compartments with a diameter of 30/32 mm., distributed uniformly on a pitch circle having a diameter of 252mm., and it was advanced by of a revolution at the rate of 3 /2revolutions per minute. The pushers were made of nylon and had adiameter of 28/30 mm. The sensing element was a steel rod with adiameter of 6 mm. with a rubber end piece. The machine was driven by athree-phase 2.20 v. A1 horsepower motor, rotating at 1,400 revolutionsper minute, and provided with a reduction gear with a 1/24 ratio.

The production rate was 56 packs per minute.

We claim:

1. A machine for positioning articles of circular crosssection in aprotective packaging container therefor, said machine comprising, incombination:

(a) a rotary plate mounted for rotation in a given direction about asubstantially vertical axis;

(b) a plurality of open ended compartments defined in said plate,ciroumferentially spaced around a pitch circle centred on said verticalaxis, said compartments having a diameter greater than that of saidprotective packaging containers, and having vertical axes themselves;

(c) movable means associated with each compartment, effective to hold anarticle axially within each compartment;

(d) a peripherally slotted dispenser synchronized with said rotaryplate, effective to dispense an article vertically from above into eachsaid compartment in turn;

(e) a protective packaging container dispensing assembly, locateddownstream of said slotted dispenser in the direction of rotation ofsaid rotary plate, and synchronized with said rotary plate, effective todrop a protective packaging container into each compartment in turn tooverlie an article therein; and

(f) pusher means downstream of said dispensing assembly in the directionof movement of said rotary plate, effective to push a protectivepackaging container fully over its associated article.

2. A machine as claimed in claim l, and further comprising a stationarymember closing the lower open end of said compartments, as they movefrom said peripherally slotted dispenser to said pusher means.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising lateralgrooves communicating with said compartments, and wherein said movablemeans comprise grippers laterally movable in said grooves, effective toengage and centre an article in said compartments.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 2, and further comprising a movableportion in said stationary member opposite said pusher means, controlmeans effective to move said portion to uncover the open end of acompartment thereabove, and sensing means effective to sense the absenceof an article in a protective packaging container With a compartmentadjacent said pusher means, said sensing means being operative toactuate said control means.

5 pusher means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1958 Brown 53-53 2,966,02012/1960 Bacsak 5353 X TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

